A four-time Tony nominee, Stew leads, along with his collaborator Heidi Rodewald, two critically acclaimed bands: The Negro Problem and Stew. Stew won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for his work on Passing Strange. His other works include Post Minstrel Syndrome, Joys and Concerns and Guest Host.

Rodewald has spent more than a decade as a performer, arranger, producer and composer for both The Negro Problem and the multi-disciplinary ensemble known as Stew. Her credits include Passing Strange, and Portraits: Night and Day. She is the co-writer of the screenplay We Can See Today. She also wrote and performed with the seminal female punk band Wednesday Week.